‘United Russia leads party-list race in Crimean 'elections'

The illegitimate elections to the State Duma of the Russian Federation were held September 18 in the occupied territory of the Crimean Peninsula.

SIMFEROPOL / AQMESCIT (QHA) -

Occupants released preliminary results of illegal elections in the annexed Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. According to the website of the Russia’s CEC, the ruling "United Russia" party is leading the race.

According to preliminary data, "United Russia" party won 68.99% of the vote. The second place was taken by the Liberal Democratic Party, the third - the Communist Party and the fourth - "Fair Russia".

The other political parties have been supported by slightly more than 1%. September 18, Russian citizens voted for MPs to the Sate Duma.

Considering Crimea the Russian territory and breaching the international law, the RF illegally opened polling stations in the occupied part of Ukraine. Most countries have refused to send observers to the elections in Crimea. The OSCE and the Venice Commission did not monitor the results of the voting in the occupied peninsula as well.

Ukraine strongly condemned the conduct of the Russian elections on its territory and called on other countries not to recognize the results, maintaining a policy of non-recognition of annexation.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said that "any results of these elections are null and void", and that the Russian parliamentary elections, which breach the international law, call into question the legitimacy of the elected State Duma and is the reason to expand sanctions against Russia. A video evidence of voting falsification in Russia has already been put on the Internet.